Curb inlet catch basin filter

ABSTRACT

This invention is a filter for a street curb inlet catch basin that comprises a removable filter basket assembly, a funnel to channel storm water into the basket, and a support structure that holds the filter in place within the basin by means of bracing the structure against the basins interior walls without altering the interior walls of the basin.

REFERENCES CITED

[0001] U.S. Patent Documents: References Cited U.S. Pat. Documents:4,594,157 Jun. 10, 1986 McGowan 5,403,474 Apr. 4, 1995 Emery 5,575,925Nov. 19, 1996 Logue Jr. 5,954,952 Sep. 21, 1999 Strawser, Sr. 6,015,489Jan. 18, 2000 Allen et al. 6,106,706 Aug. 22, 2000 Roy et al.

OTHER REFERENCES

[0002] Drain Pack™

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

[0003] This invention relates to a filter with a support structure forplacing a filter inside of a street curb inlet catch basin below anddown stream from the basins' curb inlet.

[0004] The inlet is typically in the curb of a street. Storm water flowsoff the street, down the gutter, through the curb inlet, then into thecatch basin, and out the basin outlet. Before the ground water flowsinto a sewer line it needs to be filtered as free of pollutants aspossible. These pollutants may include large debris such as sticks andleaves as well as soil.

[0005] In the past this filtration has been accomplished by placing afilter means in the mouth of the curb inlet. These devices often causeobstructions in the street and are subject to vandalism. For exampleEmery, U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,474 shows a containment of gravel thatextends out into the street in front of the curb inlet. Other forms ofcurb inlet protection are designed to bar only large items from enteringthe catch basin. These do not filter out smaller pollutants or provide ameans to retain these pollutants off site of the street. For example theapproach described by Allen et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,0154,489 shows afilter placed in the mouth of a curb inlet. This prevents large sizeddebris from entering the storm sewer system. This debris however, thenbacks up into the street. In heavy flow conditions, storm water forcesthe filter open and allows the accumulated debris to enter the sewersystem anyway. There is no off street containment of pollutants. McGowanU.S. Pat. No. 4,594,157 shows a clamp and screen that mounts inside thecurb inlet. But this provides no off street containment of debris whichthen accumulates in the street up stream from the curb inlet. Otherprior art refers to catch basin filters which are not designed for curbinlet basins for example Logue Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,925.

[0006] Drain Pack™ in there product brochure shows a filter basketinstalled below a curb inlet and essentially inside a curb inlet catchbasin. This device appears to be designed to catch large pollutant itemssuch as pop cans and sticks. The capacity of the basket is small andlimited in size. The device does not have a means to convey the stormwater from the inlet floor to the basket interior. Small pollutants willby pass the filter because the basket merely rests against the unevencement basin wall without a seal. The basket is of a fixed length. Thereis no provision at the job site to expand the basket or series ofbaskets to a full width of the inlet opening. The device is attached tothe exterior of the inlet mouth, hanging from chains. This is subject tovandalism and expensive to install. The attachments appear to requiredrilling and alteration of the outsides of the inlet

[0007] Other prior art is unnecessarily complex. For example Roy et al.U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,706 shows a gross pollutant filter apparatus. Thiscomprises an unnecessarily complex bypass means. The bypass is a movingpart which is subject to wear, and to jamming open with debris. Duringthe winter the movable part can also freeze into position and cause thesystem to either not filter or back up storm water into the street. Thehinged and spring loaded by pass means is unnecessarily expensive tomanufacture. The filter apparatus further comprises a permanentlymounted structure inside the catch basin. This mounting structure isunnecessarily expensive to manufacture to install and to remove. Thecatch basin is altered by screws, which require power tools to install.The apparatus also has no on job sight adjustment provision toaccommodate the various sizes of curb catch basins which are regularlyencountered in the field.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF OUR INVENTION

[0008] Accordingly, our invention provides a filter with a supportstructure consisting of essentially stationary or immobile parts whichfilter out storm water pollutants which have entered a curb inlet. Thisstructure easily installs without altering the catch basin.

[0009] Several objects and advantages of the present invention are:

[0010] a) to provide a curb inlet catch basin with a filter comprising asupport structure which is installed in curb inlet basins which does notalter the structural integrity of the inlet catch basin;

[0011] b) to provide a curb inlet catch basin with a filter comprising asupport structure which is safe and easy to install by hand without theaid of power tools or heavy machinery;

[0012] c) to provide a curb inlet basin with a filter comprising asupport structure which can be easily adjusted to fit curb inlet catchbasins of varying sizes and dimensions;

[0013] d) to provide a curb side catch basin with a filter comprising asupport structure with no moving mechanical parts and thus essentiallynot subject to rapid wear, to mechanical failure in a basins' harshenvironment including winter freezing.

[0014] e) to provide a curb side catch basin with a filter comprising asupport structure that does not interfere with the normal flow of streettraffic including machinery such as snow plows;

[0015] f) to provide a curb inlet basin with a filter comprising asupport structure which is not accessible though the curb inlet and thusessentially not subject to vandalism;

[0016] g) to provide a curb inlet catch basin with a filter comprising asupport structure which positions an absorbent medium within a basin toabsorb chemical pollutants for example hydro carbons and oils;

[0017] h) to provide a curb inlet catch basin with a filter comprising asupport structure that can serve either as a temporary or a permanentStorm Water Pollution Prevention Plan.

[0018] Further objects and advantages of the present invention overprior art is that it is a filter containing no moving mechanical partswith a means for either permanent or temporary installation entirely offthe street inside a curb inlet catch basin which is inexpensive tomanufacture, easy to install and maintain. Further objects andadvantages of our invention will also become apparent from considerationof the drawings and ensuing descriptions of it.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In the drawings, closely related figures have the same number butdifferent alphabetical suffixes.

[0020]FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of our filter with a supportstructure and a bag assembly installed in a typical curb inlet catchbasin.

[0021]FIG. 2 is a side view of our complete filter installed in the curbinlet catch basin.

[0022]FIG. 3 is a side view of our filters' support structure inside thecurb inlet catch basin.

[0023]FIG. 4 is a top view of our complete filter installed in a curbinlet catch basin. Reference Numerals in Drawings. 10 street 12 gutter14 curb 16 man hole inlet 18 curb inlet basin 20 basin outlet 22 filterbasket 24 curb basin inlet 26 support structure 28L left hook 28R righthook 30L left expansion brace 30R right expansion brace 32L left bracetube 32R right brace tube 34L left carriage bolt 34R right carriage bolt36L left securing nut 36R right securing nut 38L left expansion nut 38Rright expansion nut 40 water conveyance funnel 42 sliding expansionjoint 44 expansion alignment guide 46 bottom right funnel plate 48 topleft funnel side 50 pad seal 52L left bag sleeve 52R right bag sleeve54L left insert rod 54R right insert rod 56L left basin inlet side 56Rright basin inlet side 58 basin inlet floor 60L left rod cradle 60Rright rod cradle 62 filter bag assembly 64 manhole cover

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION—FIGS. 1-4

[0024]FIG. 1 best shows our installed invention in relationship to itstypical surroundings. A curb inlet catch basin 18 is located down streamfrom a street 10 and a gutter 12 and parallel with a curb 14. A catchbasin outlet 20 extends away from the basin 18 The invention comprises abag assembly 22, and a support structure 26.

[0025] The bag assembly shown in FIGS. 1,2,3,4 is best shown in FIG. 4.The bag assembly comprises a filter basket 22 and two insert rods 54Rand 54L. The basket is made of filter material with hydraulic openingssmaller than the pollutants intended to be filtered from the stormwater. This material allows the storm water to pass through whileblocking various sizes of pollutants. The bag assembly is preferablymade from a polypropylene geotextile fabric. However this filter may bemade of many types of materials for example; cotton or burlap fabric orstainless, fiberglass or aluminum screen.

[0026] The position of the bag assembly inside the basin is shown inFIGS. 1,2,4 and best shown in FIG. 2. Rod 54L is inserted into a bagassembly in sleeve 52L on the left side of the bag. The right side ofthe bag assembly is a mirror duplicate of the left side. Rod 54R isinserted into the bag assembly sleeve 54R on the right side of the bagassembly. Each rod is made of ½″ EMT. These rods and with them thefilter basket are held in place by a support structure 26.

[0027] The support structure 26 shown in FIGS. 1,2,3, and 4 is bestshown in FIG. 4. The structure comprises two expansion braces 30R and30L, and a water conveyance funnel 40. Expansion brace 30R is located onthe right side of the support structure, and 30L on the left side of thestructure. The braces are mirror duplicates of each other. Theyessentially expand the distance between the funnel and the upper backwall of the curb inlet basin 18. The clamps comprise 5½″ long galvanized½″ carriage bolts 34R on the right and 34L on the left. Bolt 34R extendsthrough the angle peak of the top right expansion plate 46R and securesitself with nut 36R. Bolt 34L extends through the angle peak of the topleft expansion plate 46L and secures itself with nut 36L. The boltsextend into the inside of clamp tubes 30R and 30L. The brace tubes aremade of ½″ EMT. The funnel 40 is made of two pieces of 18 gage 50-52aluminum sheet mettle. The top left funnel plate 48 rests on top of thebottom right funnel plate 46 terminating at joint 42. The funnel canthus expand to the full width between the left and right basin inletsides 56L and 56R. Expansion alignment guides 44 keep the two plates inalignment. The entire funnel presses against the basin inlet floor 58with an intervening pad 50. The pad is made of 8 oz nonwovenpolyproylene geotextile fabric.

[0028] The supporting structure holds the bag assembly in place withinthe basin. Each inserted rod 54L and 54R is supported by the structureon the lower end by a rod cradle 60L and 60R respectively. These cradlesprovide supports for the rods formed from an extension on each side ofthe funnel. The upper end of the rods rest inside hooks 28L and 28R.These hooks are attached to the above braces 30L and 30R. The bagassembly suspends below the structure between the two rods 54L and 54R.The lower street side of the bag assemblies' lip runs from the rod 54Lon the left side into below and beneath a lower outlet of the funnel andback up to the rod 54R on the alternate right side. The funnel and bagassembly are unlinked in that they are not directly joined together. Thebag assembly thus easily removes from the funnel. The filters' backupper lip suspends between the two rods.

[0029] OPERATION OF OUR INVENTION—FIGS. 1 TO 4.

[0030] Our invention removes and retains storm water pollutants within acurb inlet catch basin. Storm water flows from the street 10, across thegutter 12, across a catch basin inlet floor 58, across the waterconveyance funnel 40, into and through the filter basket 22, into thecatch basin 18, and out the basin outlet 20. The filter basket 22retains pollutants within while releasing the filtered storm water toflow downstream. The baskets' filter material permits storm water toflow freely through the basket 22 while the filter retains pollutantswithin the filter basket. The support structure holds the bag assemblyin place and provides a conveyance channel to guide the storm water intothe filter basket. The funnel forms the channel which bridges water fromthe inlet floor to the basket. The two expansion braces 30R and 30Lpress the funnel 40 against the seal pad and basin inlet floor.

[0031] The pressure of the braces rigidly fix the position of thesupport structure inside of the basin. The lengthening of the expansionbraces is created by varying the insertion depth of the bolts 34L and34R inside of the tubes 32L and 32R. Nuts 38L and 38R are located on thebolts. The insertion depths of the bolts is altered by the turning ofthe nuts against the tubes thus lengthening or shortening the braces.When installed, the braces are lengthened until pressure is createdbetween the funnel positioned against the basin inlet floor and theupper back basin wall. This fixes the structure rigidly in place insidethe catch basin 18. The structure then is able to provide support forthe bag filter 22 comprising the filter basket, bag sleeves 52R and 52Eand insert rod 54L and 54R. The basket is held in place by rods 54L onthe left side of the filter and 54R on the right side. The street sideof the funnel can be equipped with structural barriers to prevent smallchildren or large objects such as pop cans or tennis balls from passingbeyond reach below the mouth of the curb inlet.

[0032] The present invention easily installs into a catch basin. Anoperator can preassemble the support structure in two parts. Each partis essentially ½ of the support structure. The manhole cover 62 is thenremoved. Each half of the structure in turn conveniently lowers throughthe confinement of a typical manhole cover. The lower right side half ofthe structure, comprising the left plate and brace, installs first. Thesecond half then follows. The funnels' left expansion plate slides overthe right bottom expansion plate until the outside opposite ends of thefunnel press against the basin inlet sides 56L and 56R. At first theplates are loosely set into place with only finger tightened braces.These then tighten further with a small hand tool such as a hand pliers.The funnel 40 conveys the storm water between the basin inlet floor 58and the filter basket. The seal pad installs between the funnel andcatch basin inlet. This essentially prevents water from bypassingbetween the funnel and the catch basin inlet floor and sides. The entiresupport structure quickly and easily removes in reverse order to theabove installation procedure. The support structure remains a separatepiece from and does not directly join with the catch basin. Theintegrity of the catch basin is not altered. The pad seal pressesagainst only the surface of the inlet floor and the upper end of thebraces press against only the inside surface of the basin back wall.There are no permanent attachments between the invention and the catchbasin. This allows easy installation and removal of the entire structurewith the use of only simple hand tools. However, the invention is ruggedin construction and can serve well as a permanent filter installation.

[0033] The bag assembly 62, comprises both of the rods 54L and 54R andthe filter basket 22. The manhole inlet 16 easily accommodates theinstallation, maintenance and replacement of the assembly. The assemblyis best put together before being installed in the basin. The filterassembly folds together. The two inserted rods serve as handles toenable the operator to easily lower the bag filter through the manholeopening and into its resting place. The rods rest in place by gravity.Because the funnel and filter basket are not directly attached, thefilter basket easily separates from below the funnel. For maintenancebasket vacuums out or lifts out and washes. The filter assembly foldstogether to enable it to easily pass up through the manhole openingduring removal. To replace the basket, the operator simply removes theassembly from the basin. He then slides the rods out from the assemblyand reinserts them into the new basket. The bag assembly is then loweredback into place.

[0034] Summary Ramification and Scope of Our Invention

[0035] Accordingly the reader will see that the filter of this inventioncan be used to remove pollutants from storm water within a curb inletcatch basin before the water is released through the catch basins'outlet. One can also see that the filters' and support structure iseasily installed, maintained, and removed through a typical curb inletbasins' manhole. One can remove only the bag assembly leaving thesupport structure in place by simply removing the assembly out from itsresting place. Furthermore our curb inlet basin filter has theadditional advantages in that:

[0036] it provides a catch basin with a filter which easily installs andremoves. by hand with simple hand tools;

[0037] it provides a curb inlet basin with a filter having a supportstructure which installs easily without power tools, machinery,hammering or drilling leaving no alteration of a catch basin and itsstructural integrity intact;

[0038] it provides a curb inlet basin with a filter which can be easilyadjusted at the work site to fit curb inlet catch basins of varyingsizes and dimensions;

[0039] it provides a curb side inlet basin with a filter which consistof essentially of stationary parts without moving mechanical parts whichresist jamming with debris;

[0040] it provides a curb side inlet basin with a filter which has wearlongevity because it has non moving parts.

[0041] it provides a curb side inlet basin with a filter which has asupport structure which is entirely inside the catch basin and does notinterfere with the normal traffic flow of street vehicles or machinery;

[0042] it provides a curb side inlet basin with a filter which is notaccessible though the curb inlet and thus essentially impervious tovandalism;

[0043] it provides a curb inlet basin with a filter which requires noneed for adhesives or permanent attachments to the catch basin;

[0044] it provides a curb inlet basin with a filter which permits manytypes of filter materials to be easily interchanged for various degreesof filtration;

[0045] it provides a curb inlet basin with a filter which can position achemical absorbent medium inside of a curb inlet for the removal of suchpollutants as hydrocarbons.

[0046] it provides a curb inlet basin with a filter in which all itsparts easily pass through a typical inlet basin manhole inlet duringinstallation maintenance and removal;

[0047] it provides a curb inlet basin with a filter with an off streetlocation which essentially allows a free flow of storm water into a curbinlet and without a back up of hazardous water and debris into a street;

[0048] It provides a curb side inlet basin with a filter that can beeasily equipped with various types of interchangeable filter materials;

[0049] it provides a curb inlet basin with a filter wherein the streetside of the filter has a face which has structural barriers to preventsmall children or large objects such as pop cans or tennis balls frompassing beyond reach below the mouth of the curb inlet;

[0050] It provides a curb side inlet basin with a filter that can serveas either a short term or permanent Storm Water Prevention Plan (SWPPP)measure.

[0051] Although the description above contains many specifications,these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention butas merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferredembodiments of this invention. Thus the scope of the invention should bedetermined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, ratherthan by the examples given.

We claim: 1) a support means for a filter of the type locatedessentially inside a curb inlet catch basin consisting of stationarymechanical parts which hold the filter in place within the basin bypressures developed against and between multiple interior surfaces ofthe basin without altering said interior surface. 2) The support meansof claim 1 wherein the means comprises supports for a bag assemblyincluding a filter basket which is essentially unlinked to said meansbut remains in place by gravity. 3) The basket assembly of claim 2comprises rods which are attached to the basket which prevent adeformation of the basket within the basin. 4) The support structure ofclaim 1 wherein the parts develop said pressure by means of a brace ormultiple braces which can expand within the distance between the curbinlet floor and the basin back wall. 5) The brace of claim 4 furthercomprising a tube, a bolt, a nut wherein said brace expands in lengthwhen the bolt is inserted into and extends part way into the tube andthe nut mounted on the bolt tightens against said tube. 6) The structureof claim 1 further comprising a storm water conveyance channel whichconsists of essentially stationary parts located between an inlet of thebasin and the filter. 7) The channel of claim 6 further including aledge above the inside of the basket which drops said storm water intothe interior of the basket. 8) The structure of claim 5 wherein thechannel comprises sheet metal. 9) The structure of claim 5 wherein thechannel comprises filter fabric. 10) A storm water conveyance funnelwhich consists of essentially stationary parts for a filter of the typelocated within a street curb inlet basin wherein the funnel is locatedbetween the inside surfaces of the basins' inlet and the downstreamfilter. 11) The channel of claim 10 further including a ledge above theinside of the filter which drops storm water into the interior of saidfilter. 12) The channel of claim 10 wherein the parts are made of ridgedmaterials. 13) The channel of claim 12 wherein the parts are made ofsheet mettle. 14) The channel of claim 10 wherein the parts are made offlexible fabric materials. 15) The channel of claim 10 wherein the partsare essentially unlinked to the filter. 16) a filter assembly for afilter of the type that is located within a street curb inlet catchbasin wherein the assembly comprises a support means which holds thefilter in place by gravity whereby said filter is essentially unlinkedto the support means. 17) The assembly of claim 16 wherein the supportstructure is fixed in place within the basin only by pressures developedagainst and between the interior surfaces of the basin and the supportstructures placement does not alter said interior surface. 18) Theassembly of claim 16 further including rods which are attached to thebasket to prevent deformation of the basket within the basin. 19) Thesupport structure of claim 16 wherein said pressure is developed bymeans of a brace or multiple braces which essentially expand within thedistance between the curb inlet floor and the basin back wall. 20) Thebasket of claim 16 wherein the basket comprises filtration material madeof geotextile fabric.